


Guess Who - A Miraculous Ladybug Fanfic

by IamBumbleshootTheMagnificent



Series: Guess Who: The Series of Semi-Short Stories [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien is great, Adrien is horrible at this game, Adrien., Akumas, And Plagg being a sweetie because Adrien is hurt., Angst, Don't worry he's still a little brat. Just not right now., F/M, Fanfiction, Fluff, Games, GuessWho, He likes torturing Adrien, He's also totally an idiot, It's Ridiculous, Maybe - Freeform, Mention of blood, Much., Oops, Plagg is mean, So., Sorrynotsorrysortof, but angsty fluff, but i'm squeamish and it didn't hurt me, changed the summary, don't worry i won't kill the cinnamon buns off, going a different direction, i think im changing the summary soon, idk at the moment, it will still be fluffy though, just saying, love square, miraculousladybug, more feels than i expected, much angst, no he doesn't like Marinette, okay, pre-reveal, seriously should be getting back to fluff soon sorry guys, slight language: like one word, slightly different, story took a new direction without my permission
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-27
Updated: 2018-01-27
Packaged: 2018-09-02 16:57:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 12,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8675365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IamBumbleshootTheMagnificent/pseuds/IamBumbleshootTheMagnificent
Summary: All Adrien has ever wanted to know in the last two -almost three- years of being Chat Noir is the identity of his beloved Ladybug. Suddenly, he finds out that Plagg knows who she is and his kwami is refusing to tell him! Meanwhile: an unfortunate domino of events sends Adrien closer to his Lady than he ever could imagine.But now...Can he guess who his Lady is if she is right in front of him? Can Ladybug hide her identity when her friend and partner is searching so vehemently for it? And will their friendship survive this roller-coaster of happenings?





	1. Plagg's Mistake

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! My first posted Miraculous Fanfic. I thought of this a bit ago and decided to write a fanfic about it, but I'm sure it has been thought of before. Not copying anyone; this is my own idea! Hope you enjoy. :)

“Agh! I can’t handle this anymore, Plagg.” Adrien exclaims, collapsing onto his duvet-covered bed. He rubs a hand over his eyes while Plagg chuckles.

“You can’t handle _what_?” He snickers next to Adrien’s ear.

“I need to know who she is!” Adrien sighs deeply, rolling onto his stomach to look at Plagg, who is sitting on the pillow in front of him, munching on his stinky cheese.

“Why? It’s not like it’s vital to your superhero-ing.” Plagg shoves the rest of his cheese in his mouth and swallows hugely as Adrien tries not to gag. Pagg continues, “If you _did_ know who she was, that would probably screw up your relationship. And all that personal stuff would come rolling in, and school and work would be awkward and….”

Adrien sits up quickly, cutting Plagg off. “Wait. What?”

Plagg blinks at him and rolls away. Realizing his mistake, he tries to get away from Adrien, but Adrien is too fast. As Plagg hovers in the air above him, Adrien snatches him and holds him captive in his hands.

“She...she goes to school with me?” Adrien asks, his green eyes wide and his expression nothing but surprise. Inside his hands, Plagg vehemently shakes his head.

“Nope. Don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Plagg…” Adrien’s tone is accusing and threatening.

“I won’t tell you,” Plagg says stubbornly as he tries to escape. After a moment of struggling, he bites Adrien’s hand. Adrien jumps and lets go.

“Ow! Why the heck not?” Adrien asks, shaking his hand and glaring at the kwami.

“Because I won’t.” Plagg flies off to the other side of the room and sits on the window ledge, out of Adrien’s reach.

“Plagg, seriously. You know how much this means to me!” Adrien’s frustration grows as his kwami continues to shake his head. Adrien thinks for a moment before an idea comes to him. A strange expression covers his face and Plagg, growing quickly suspicious, frowns at him.

“What?” Plagg asks, his tail whipping around him in his anxiety.

“What if I guessed?” Adrien asks, his lips pulling into a smile. Plagg’s expression is still suspicious.

“What do you mean, ‘guessed’? Like..you’d go through your whole school list of people and ask me about every one of your classmates?” Plagg asks, snark entering his voice as he floats back towards Adrien.

“Yeah,” Adrien says, scratching his head. “Something like that.”

Plagg thinks about it for a minute, but then shakes his head. “Nope. That’s not any fun.”

“Plagg!” Adrien stresses his friend’s name. “Please.” He puts his hands together in a begging motion.

Plagg chuckles, “Nah.”

“Agh!” Adrien sighs, and then glances at the time. He jumps. The clock on his nightstand reads: 23:48. “Fine. But this discussion isn’t over. I’m going to bed.” Adrien reaches over and flips the light off.

Plagg chuckles again and floats over to Adrien’s bed. He curls up on Adrien’s pillow, next to his face. Adrien groans and flips over to face the other direction so he doesn’t have to smell Plagg’s horrible breath.


	2. Ladybug's Age

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien asks his friends about Ladybug. He's trying to be discreet...Trying: Failing.

Adrien sighs, glancing around at his classmates. He can’t get Plagg’s slip from last night out of his head. They still have several minutes before the bell rings for class, and so he leans over to Nino and nudges his shoulder.

“Hey Nino?” Adrien asks, as Ninomoves his headphones so he can hear.

“What’s up bro?”

“How old do you think Ladybug is?” Adrien asks, glancing around the classroom again.

“Uhh...I don’t know.” Nino says, shrugging.

“I mean, do you think she could be _our_ age?” Adrien presses.  Nino gives him a weird look and shrugs again.

“Dude I have no clue. Ask Alya. She’s the Ladybug expert.” He pulls his headphones back over his ears and closes his eyes. His head bounces to the beat and Adrien sighs again. Then he leans down to the next row and taps his best friend’s girlfriend on the shoulder. She turns with a smile, despite his interruption of her and Marinette’s conversation.

“What can I do for you, Adrien?” She says, raising an eyebrow.

“You caught Ladybug and Chat Noir fighting that Akuma last night, right?” Adrien asks, even though he knows the answer already. He had seen Alya there, with her phone pointed at them as they fought another of Hawk Moth’s obnoxious Akumai. She was always there somewhere, not necessarily in the thick of it, but getting a good shot anyway. Adrien inwardly chuckles at how many times he’s had to sling her up and out of harm’s way because she’s too stubborn to move from the path of an approaching Akuma.

“Yeah! Of course. Why?” Alya responds, her smile widening.

“I was just thinking...You’ve seen them both really close up. How old do you think Ladybug is?” He tries to disguise his excitement over the question but he can tell some of it slips out. Alya’s smile becomes a smirk. He can feel his face getting red under her intense gaze, but he’s fighting the oncoming blush as hard as he can.

“I’m not entirely sure. Why do you ask?” Alya raises her eyebrows at him, and he glances down to avoid her gaze.

“Just...curious. Ya know. She, uhm, seems really interesting and...whatnot.” It’s not like Adrien to stutter but he just can’t help himself. Alya opens her mouth to reply but the bell rings loudly, interrupting her and making Adrien jump, She faces the front of the classroom and he leans back again. Next to him, Nino removes his headphones with a bored sigh.

Adrien tries to pay attention to the class as the next hour passes. He avoids the looks Alya throws at him and Plagg’s quiet snickers from his hoodie pocket. He tries his hardest to simply pretend nothing ever happened.

In fact, Adrien is trying so hard to pretend nothing happened that he doesn’t notice that Marinette, sitting next to Alya, had gone bright red at his and Alya’s conversation. He also doesn’t notice that when the bell rings and he rushes out of the class, she is still blushing, all the way to the back of her neck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Adrien, being his idiot self. Never noticing anything. ;)


	3. Study Buddies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette has an unexpected visitor in the midst of a freakout.

“Marinette, calm down. You’re going to stress yourself out.” Tikki’s quiet, sugar-sweet voice does nothing to stop Marinette’s pacing.

“But...but...Adrien! He was...he was _asking_ about me, Tikki!” Marinette’s voice increases in volume until it is almost a shout. Tikki quickly flies over to her and places a tiny paw over Marinette’s mouth. "Well...I mean he was asking about Ladybug but STILL!" Marinette continues despite her kwami's interference. She takes a breath to start again, but Tikki cuts her off.

“Mari, please! Your mom is going to-”

Tikki, herself, is cut off by Mrs. Dupain-Cheng, who pushes up the trapdoor that is the entrance to Marinette’s room. Tikki squeaks quietly and hides in Mari’s blue hair.

“Honey?” Marinette’s mom gives her a strange look.

“Uhm..yeah?” Mari says, trying to appear normal.

“Are you talking to your wallpaper again, hun?” A smile lights in Mrs. Dupain-Cheng’s eyes as her daughter blushes furiously. She doesn’t wait for a response before continuing, “You’ve got a visitor. Downstairs. You want me to send them up?” Her mom smiles brightly and, when Mari nods, leaves.

Marinette sighs deeply, sitting down on her bed.

“What am I going to _do_ , Tikki?” Marinette asks. Tikki doesn’t answer and Mari covers her face with her hands. “I can’t believe he was asking how _old_ I am!”

Someone, Alya she assumes, is coming up the ladder to her room. Mari lays back and closes her eyes, feeling Tikki moving to her jacket pocket. Her visitor enters her room, pushing the trapdoor up. It slams against the floor and Mari sighs again. Alya is _always_ doing that, despite the fact that she _knows_ it bothers Marinette!

“Hey. How many times have I told you-” Marinette, now sitting up, chokes on her next word as she actually _sees_ her visitor.

Adrien. Freaking. Agreste.

She is going to kill her mom.

Her heart stops. Her lungs stop working. Her eyes widen, and she stares at him for a long moment as, inside her head, she starts screaming.

“Uh, hi Marinette.” Adrien says, looking worriedly at her as her face begins to turn purple from lack of oxygen. He takes the last step into the room and carefully shuts the trapdoor with one hand. In the other, he is holding a plate of cheese croissants, obviously from her mom. Around one shoulder, his school bag is slung and his blonde hair is coiffed at exactly the right angle. He is gorgeous and his green eyes sparkle with concern as she continues to stare, unblinking at him.

Tikki pokes Marinette through her jacket and Marinette’s bodily functions start up again as the gasp she was holding in escapes from her mouth.

“H-h-hi.” She finally chokes out, forcing herself to breathe. Adrien has been in her room before, after all. Just not...unexpectedly. She can feel her face turn bright red as he glances around at her walls.

 _Please, please don’t notice the posters._ She begs him inwardly.

“So...Alya said you wanted to study…?” Adrien is confused and unsure on how to move the conversation forward. He meets her eyes and her blush increases. She takes a minute or two to respond.

“Oh. Oh, uh, right! Uhm, here…” She stands up and offers him a seat on her bed. He walks over to her with a smile and then sits, placing the plate on the bed next to him. He pulls the school bag off his shoulder. He pulls out his English book and opens it. Then he looks up at her expectantly. She stands there, watching him until he clears his throat.

Marinette jumps. Awkwardly, she tries to smooth over the situation. “Right...uh my book. I’ll just...get that.” She turns towards her desk and trips. Over air. She begins to fall, but before she can face-plant, a warm hand grabs her shoulder.

Adrien pulls her up and steadies her as her blush increases. She is sure that by now, she is the same color as her suit and she can’t help it. Embarrassment curdles in her stomach, making her feel sick. But Adrien just smiles at her and sits back down on the bed. Carefully, trying her hardest not to trip again, Marinette grabs her English book, a notebook, and a pen and walks back towards her bed.

There, she hesitates. She doesn’t know where to sit. Adrien, looking up from the assignment in his hands, smiles widely and then moves the plate to the floor. He pats the bed next to him, and then turns his attention back to his book.

Hesitating again, Marinette sits down next to him. He smiles at her and pushes his assignment at her.

“Can you help me with this?” He asks, pointing to a problem. She nods, gripping her pen better and reviewing what he’s written. After several minutes, she glances up. He is eating a cheese croissant and, when she hands him back his paper, he accepts it and offers her a croissant of her own. She takes it with a small smile, trying to keep her internal screaming just that: _internal_.

Adrien glances over what she’s written in the margins of his paper and then back up to her. His model-smile spreads widely across his face.

“Thanks, study buddy.” He says jokingly and then takes a big bite of his croissant. He turns back to the assignment, unaware that Marinette is blushing again. 


	4. Firecats

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick note: Thank you so much to all of the wonderful people who commented, read, left kudos or bookmarked this! Thank you so much! I've never had so much progress with a story in such a quick amount of time! 
> 
> Love and thanks,  
> ~Bumble :)

Adrien, as he is leaving the Dupain-Cheng’s, smiles and thanks Marinette for the company and the studying. He pretends to ignore her blush, though inwardly he is frustrated that he inspires this kind of response with girls.

“Bye Mrs. Dupain-Cheng!” He calls as Marinette hesitates at the open Bakery door. The kind lady waves at him as the door swings closed.

For a moment, Marinette stands there, staring at the ground. Adrien feels like she is going to say something, but after a long hesitation, she turns to go back inside.

“Hey Marinette?” Adrien asks, before she can open the door.  

“Uhm, yeah?” Marinette replies, slowly turning back around to face Adrien, biting her lip.

“What do _you_ think of Ladybug?”

“L-Ladybug?” Marinette asks, trying not to stutter over the name. After two hours virtually alone in her bedroom (other than a very silent Tikki, they were alone after all), Marinette had gotten a better grip on her tongue. But hearing her alter-ego’s name in Adrien’s warm voice sends shivers down her spine and her tongue begins to rebel again.

“Yeah. You must have heard our conversation this morning. How old do you think she is?” Adrien raises an eyebrow at her, calmly waiting for an answer. Marinette hesitates and confusion bubbles inside Adrien for a moment.

“Uhm...I’m not sure really. Maybe sixteen, seventeen? Just from what I’ve seen in pictures and around the city and whatnot, I imagine she and Chat Noir are not too much older than us. Why do you ask?” The words spill out of Marinette’s mouth and the two of them stand there, stunned, for a moment. Neither one expected so many words from Marinette.

“Uh...I just...would really like to meet her, I guess. She seems really cool. And I’ve always..been a big fan of hers. She and Chat have been fighting Akumai for like three years now, right? They have saved so many lives. It’s really impressive.” Adrien’s smile grows and then, as Marinette opens her mouth to reply, his phone begins to ring. He jumps and pulls it out of his pocket.

Glancing at the screen, Adrien holds back a groan. He meets Marinette’s gaze and sighs. “Sorry Mari. Gotta run. Curfew!” He starts off down the street at a brisk pace, answering his phone as he half walks, half runs.

Marinette stares after him, her mouth still half open and a forgotten response hanging off her tongue.

 

Adrien’s studying is interrupted by a loud explosion outside his window. Jumping up from his chair, he runs over towards the sound and sees the bright light of a building on fire several blocks away.

“Plagg!” He calls, turning quickly from the window. His kwami doesn’t immediately respond and he calls his name again. “Plagg!”

“Whaaaattt?” A grumpy voice echoes from the other side of his room, and Adrien sprints over to his bed.

“Plagg! There’s a fire!” Adrien says desperately, beginning to throw his blankets off his bed, searching for his sleepy kwami.

“So what? We’re not firecats.” Plagg says grumpily just as Adrien finds him, nestled under three pillows. Adrien grabs him and brings him up to eye level.

“It might be from an Akuma.” Adrien says, and then before Plagg can complain, he exclaims: “Plagg, claws out!”

A groan issues from the kwami as he is sucked into Adrien’s ring and the transformation takes over Adrien. Within seconds, he is bounding over to his long glass-pane windows. Easily, he slides one of them up. He had secretly installed the movable window when he had first became Chat Noir and it was quite useful.

Chat climbs out the window and onto the small ledge, balancing on his toes as he replaces the pane. As soon as that is done, he uses his staff to fling himself towards the points of light. It takes him less than a minute until he arrives at the scene, and is assaulted immediately by smoke.

Chat starts coughing as he balances precariously on the edge of a roof several apartment complexes down from the burning building. His eyes are sweeping the area, looking for an Akuma, but he doesn’t spot one. What he _does_ spot is a large group of people running from the burning building.

With a deep coughing sigh, Chat Noir _cat_ apults himself down towards the people. Immediately, a woman accosts him.

“My daughter! Please! She’s still inside!” The dark-haired Parisian begs, trying not to collapse. Chat looks up at the building, then back at the woman.

“Which floor?” He asks, quickly helping her to sit on the sidewalk.

“The...fifth.” She coughs out, and he hears the sounds of sirens. He glances up, but he can already tell that the fire trucks are much too far away to be helpful.

He’s going to have to go inside.

“Okay! I’ll get her.” Chat promises and runs towards the building, hoping his suit is fireproof. Deep down, he knows it’s not...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment with your reaction! It would make me a very very happy person. :) Another update coming hopefully soon.


	5. Rescue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here you go guys! Sorry I didn't post it yesterday...I meant to but I ended up working late and got really busy. So here ya go...Enjoy!

Marinette awakens to the horrible smell of fire and smoke. Blinking and wide awake, she sits up. Her room is lit up despite the absence of the sun. The night is bright with the colors of flames and her room is full of smoke that blinds her.

“Tikki?” Marinette begins coughing violently as she stands up and her voice is quieter than a whisper. “Tikki?” She calls again, trying to be louder. She stumbles towards the steps that leads to her balcony. She climbs them, still coughing and calling for Tikki. Her kwami doesn’t respond and if she could get enough oxygen to her brain, she would be freaking out about it. As of the moment though, her only thought process is focused on getting into the fresh air. 

When Marinette reaches the balcony, she glances around. The sight that meets her eyes stuns and terrifies her. An apartment complex really close to her house is on fire. Several houses and buildings next to it have also caught fire and the firemen are desperately trying to put the flames out. The wind is blowing in exactly the right direction and the smoke is wafting directly towards her. 

The sight of the buildings on fire send any sleepiness that she might have still had away. She turns back towards her room and covers her mouth and nose with her silky sleep-shirt. Then she plunges back down into her bedroom. She races immediately towards her bed and (despite the pain of the smoke in her eyes) finds her phone. She clicks on the screen until the flashlight pops on. Then she begins a desperate search for her beloved kwami.

“Tikki!” Marinette’s voice screeches and then begins to cough violently. She uses the flashlight to finally find her kwami. Tikki is under Mari’s pillow, coughing badly. Having found her precious friend, Mari grabs her and stuffs her down inside her shirt. Tikki grabs onto the fabric of Marinette’s bra and holds on for dear life as Mari slams open the trapdoor and half-runs, half-falls down the ladder. 

“Maman! Papa!” Marinette calls as she runs to their room. She slams open the door and finds them coughing on the floor. She races over to her father but is unable to pull him up; he’s too heavy for her. She tries calling his name again, but both her parents are unconscious from the smoke.

Panic fills Marinette’s brain and she deliberates on what to do. Then an idea occurs to her: while Marinette Dupain-Cheng may be too weak to lift a grown man from the ground, Ladybug is not. She hesitates a long moment, worrying about her kwami’s health and the possibility that she may be too sick to help. Then she pulls her friend out from under her shirt.

“Tikki! Can we help my parents?” Marinette asks quickly, bringing Tikki up to face level. Tikki, though coughing too much to reply, nods without hesitation. Marinette nods and then yells: “Tikki, spots on!”

The transformation, though just as fast as any other one in the last two years, feels too slow to Marinette. Within seconds however, red and black spandex covers her from head to toe and the power of her kwami surges through her. Her coughing slows though does not stop. 

Ladybug grabs Tom Dupain around the waist and lifts him with a grunt of effort. She then grabs Sabine Cheng (who is light as a feather comparatively) and is running towards the door. With her parents in her arms, Ladybug is down the second set of stairs and out the front door of the bakery just as something explodes to her right. 

Ladybug spots several SAMU men in the midst of a large crowd near the burning buildings. She rushes over to them and says quickly, “Sabine and Tom Dupain-Cheng. They live at the Bakery over there,” she points behind her. “Their daughter, Marinette Dupain-Cheng is safe as well. Help them!” The men in hospital garb nod furiously and then Ladybug is gone. She is heading towards one of the burning buildings when she hears a partial sentence.

“-Chat Noir is still in there!” 

Ladybug turns on her heels and looks desperately for the person who spoke. She goes into the crowd before she finds the speaker. A dark-haired Parisian woman, clutching a small girl of  about six, is sobbing to one of the firemen. 

“Chat Noir is still in there! He went in for Maia and then she came out, but he didn’t!” The woman points to the main burning building, which looks on the edge of collapse. Ladybug doesn’t wait to hear anything else. She sprints towards the building, using her yo-yo to propel her forward faster.

“Chat!” She calls as she enters the building, fighting the urge to cough. In response to her loud call, she hears nothing. She quickly skates through the top floors, always calling his name. Always receiving no answer. 

She begins to get desperate as she reaches the fourth floor down. She hasn’t found any civilians but she also hasn’t found Chat. Her coughing begins to intensify and she narrowly avoids the flames that roar around her. Ladybug searches every floor of the building, moving as fast as she can while still checking every crevice. 

As she reaches the bottom-most floor, she calls his name again. 

“Chat?” In the distance, she thinks she hears a whimper. She runs towards it. 

“Chat?!” She calls again, looking around for him. The smoke is stinging her eyes horrible now. She can barely see but still she is looking,

“Chat where are you?” She calls, still moving towards where she heard the whimper. As she reaches a half-collapsed set of stairs, she hears another whimper. 

“Chat!” Ladybug exclaims as she sees movement under a large pile of collapsed rubble. She begins to tear at it, but it is collapsed in exactly the wrong way. Even with her strength, she can’t get it off of him. 

“Use Cataclysm!” She calls loudly to him over the sound of the fire, hoping he can hear her. If he can, she can’t tell. She waits, then calls again. “Cataclysm, Chat Noir!” 

This time he hears her. Ladybug can’t hear his words, but sees a flash of light under the rubble and suddenly, it’s gone. Destroyed. Where it was, however, is a very beaten-up Chat Noir. 

Ladybug gasps, seeing the burns on his suit that show bits of red skin and the dust that covers him head to toe. She leans down and carefully pulls him up. 

Chat Noir is half conscious. He is alert enough to smile grimly at her, but when she tries to move him towards the door, he yelps in pain. 

“We have to get out, Chat.” She says, vividly aware of the flames that lick around them, greedy and ready to eat them up.

“Hmm.” He says, and his eyes roll back into his head, frightening his partner. Despite her fears of hurting him more, she pulls him onto her back and wraps his long arms around her neck. Then she makes her way over to the front door, fighting her way through the flames and coughing all the while. 

They finally make it outside and just in time too. Ladybug carefully removes Chat from her back and then collapses onto her back on the sidewalk. At the same moment, the building several yards in front of her. Everyone around her screams and she feels the sting of something very hot on her face. She reaches up to touch her cheek with her gloved hand. When she brings it away, a red-hot piece of debris is in her hand. She gasps as it burns her and drops it. Next to her, Chat groans and coughs up something red that oozes onto the sidewalk beneath him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay...more fluff is coming, I swear! This is not going to be the whole story. Just needed a bit of action, 'cause this is Miraculous after all! 
> 
> :)


	6. Beep Beep

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So...I'm hoping to get to work on this sometime this weekend, and I wanted to work on this more during the week but work and school got ahead of me. I am sorry about the last chapter and it's horrible spelling and grammar mistakes. I'll go back and fix those...eventually.
> 
> But, for now, here's a little chapter to tide you guys over until I can get to working on this again. :) Enjoy!

_ Beep beep.  _

_ Beep beep. _

There is this strange beeping noise. It's loud, much louder than the ringing in his ears or the sounds around him that are slowly beginning to seep in. 

_ Beep beep.  _

For some reason that insistent, obnoxious sound is making his heart race. And as Chat Noir slowly, ever so slowly, finds his way back into reality, that sound is compelling him. Compelling him to move. To get up and run. But he doesn't remember WHY at this exact moment. 

And a voice. There's...a voice? It's only now coming into focus, as all the other sounds crowd out the beeping for a moment. 

Yes, a voice. A female voice in a sea of many, many voices. A very familiar voice next to his ear, telling him something. Something just as urgent as the annoying beeping. 

"Chat." He hears his name and he wills his eyes to open. They don't obey immediately and that frustrates him. 

"Chat!" 

Her voice. 

"-Miraculous."

"-out of time!"

Chat can only catch pieces of what that familiar voice is saying in such a worried tone but it's enough that he shoves with all his force back to the land of reality. 

Chat Noir's eyes open slowly. Above him is a sea of red and blue and...wet? There is something dripping on his face. Chat blinks and his vision finally clears. As it does, the ringing in his ears also lessens and he can finally hear clearly, though the voice has stopped speaking. Only the insistent beeping in his ears remains. 

_ Beep beep.  _

"My...Lady?" Chat tries to speak but finds he cannot. His throat is on fire from the effort and he can only mouth the horrified question. Horrified because of the look on her face. 

Ladybug is crying. She is leaning over him and her tears are falling onto his cheeks. However, when she sees his eyes open and his lips move, she gasps. 

"Chat!" Ladybug exclaims. He tries to sit up. Pain bites into him but he refuses to let himself collapse. Ladybug backs up a bit and lets him sit up, helping with a warm hand on his back. Her expression lightens just slightly. 

Chat doesn't mention the pain that comes from the pressure of her hand. He can't really and if he could, he still wouldn't. 

_ Beep beep.  _

He's distracted by the beeping. He looks for the sound's origin but when he moves, more pain attacks him. He flinches and Ladybug's expression grows more desperate. 

"Chat, your Miraculous! It's almost run out. You've got less than a minute left!" Ladybug removes her hand and points at his ring. 

Chat Noir is stunned. He glances at it too. 

_ Beep beep.  _

Now that Chat is paying attention, he realizes that after every beep there is a small flash of light from his ring. It shows only the slightest sliver of a cat paw. It beeps again as he watches it and the sliver grows even thinner. 

Less than a minute. 

It finally hits him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't hate me. Sorry this was so short. I really will try to work on this again this weekend, but... 
> 
> On the other hand, HOLY GOODNESS I'VE BEEN HAVING A HEART ATTACK THIS WHOLE WEEK. I can honestly NOT BELIEVE how many reads this has! It's insane and amazing and it makes me very, very happy. Thank you to everyone who has left kudos, comments, or bookmarked it! You guys make me happy. 
> 
> Love,   
> Bumbleshoot :)


	7. Unlucky Charm

Ladybug’s heart is racing. Her vision is blurry from her tears, still wet on her cheeks, and she is shaking from head to toe.

She doesn’t know what to do. For the moment, it seems her creativity and quick-thinking have abandoned her. She is terrified by her partner, who is now sitting up and staring at the ring on his hand.

He is also bleeding. There is a lot of blood and it’s making her stomach roil. His lips are covered in it; he is also bleeding from his side. Some injury she can’t see because of the suit is bleeding _through_ his suit and he doesn’t seem aware of it yet.

She watches in terror, surprised at everything that has happened in the last five minutes overwhelming her brain. And as she watches, he starts coughing again. The coughing shakes his entire frame and he loses his balance. He tips sideways and she’s not fast enough to catch him.

“Chat!” She cries as his head hits the cement and his eyes quickly close again. His ring beeps loudly and she realizes that they only have _seconds_ before he de-transforms. From past experiences, she knows that their suits can take a lot of damage. Most of the time her suit -and Tikki- absorb a lot of the bumps and bruises she receives on the battlefield.

But, as soon as the transformation ends, the bruises and bumps come rushing back in and sends her into extreme pain, that is, if she hadn't used her Lucky Charm with that particular akuma. And if Chat de-transforms _now_ , with his condition the way it is, Ladybug worries that her partner will not survive the time it would take to get help.

Damn that Cataclysm.

Then, the midst of all her terror, it hits her.

Lucky Charm!

What an idiot she is! How could she not have thought of it before?

Ladybug ruffles around her waist, desperately looking for her yo-yo. She finally finds it, all too aware of the loud beeping coming from Chat’s ring. Neither of them have ever cut a transformation this close; normally they simply allow it to happen, but now is really _really_ not the time for him to de-transform. The beeping is not helping the situation either. It is simply sending more panic down her spine and now is not the time for panic either.

Now is the time for her Lucky Charm. She yells the words loudly and the people who have crowded around her and Chat jump back. Her yo-yo flies to the air and within seconds, drops an object in her hands.

That she stares at.

Because how in the _world_ is she supposed to use THIS?!

An ominous sounding  _beep beep_ echoes through the suddenly quiet -to Ladybug- area around her.

Ladybug's stomach flips over as she realizes:

She has failed. 

A bright light flashes from Chat Noir's direction and everyone around her screams. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another short chapter. Was the best I could do for now...Terribly sorry if it was horrible. I ended up working all weekend and this was what I came up with using the little time I had. I WILL be working on a better, longer chapter with hopefully more fluff and will be going back to the main storyline here again soon. But for now, have some more feels.
> 
> Oh, and be aware: Marinette is in shock and may possibly be more hurt than she realizes. It's not her fault her brain isn't working at 100 percent like it should. ;)


	8. Hospital

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette awakes to find her world has changed forever...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, I would like to thank everyone who has read, kudos'd and most especially, COMMENTED! I will admit, I had given up on this fanfiction. I was either going to scrap it and start a different one or I was going to re-write it. But I have received sooo many comments about how much you all have loved the story, and I was convinced to give it another chance! Therefore, I am going onward with it! 
> 
> This chapter is dedicated to all of you. Thank you for your lovely comments and thank you for asking for another chapter. It meant a lot to me and I really hope you enjoy it. 
> 
> Ooh, and also: I am going back and re-editing the story. I'm planning on adding several things to the first couple chapters that may or may not be vital in the later ones. The finishing touches should be done by this upcoming Sunday, so you might want to make sure you go back and re-read or skim over the old chapters.
> 
> Thank you again! 
> 
> Love, Bumble :)

Marinette Dupain-Cheng awakens with a jolt and a gasp of pain. In her mind, the screaming echoes all around her and she sits up quickly. 

Except….She is no longer on the street. And looking down, she can also see that she is no longer in her suit. She is laying on an unfamiliar bed. 

Blinking, she tries to concentrate on her surroundings and they become clearer...She is...in the hospital? In the chair next to her bed sits her mom, who is cat-napping and in the chair next to the door is her dad. Her head is spinning as she tries to kick her legs out from under the blankets. Unfortunately, the movement sends a very sharp pain into her and she gasps loudly.

“Mari!” Sabine Dupain-Cheng bolts upright and jumps to her feet. Her eyes fill with tears as she softly pushes Marinette back onto the bed. Marinette doesn’t resist as the dull aches all over her body begin to turn into stabbing pains. 

“Maman? What’s going on?” Marinette asks softly, her eyes flicking to her sleeping father whose arm is in a sling. “What happened?” Her eyes wander back towards Sabine and she notices the bandages around her mom’s head. 

“Oh honey….No one really knows how it happened, but a fire started and spread quickly. A lot of buildings were damaged or destroyed and….well….” Sabine begins to cry in earnest now. 

“Mom?” Marinette is scared by Sabine’s tone and follows her gaze out of the hospital window. Marinette’s eyes widen at the sight of blackened, burned buildings in the distance. Above them, smoke rises in sporadic patterns, making the whole of her beloved city seem darker and more terrifying than it ever has.

And in the distance...Marinette can see the ruins of several buildings, a whole block’s worth. On instinct, she searches for the outline of their home and Bakery, but her eyes can’t seem to focus on it. She turns back to her mom, who is now pushing the button for a nurse.

“Mom, where’s our house? I can’t...see it. I don’t think my eyes are concentrating very well.” 

Sabine’s eyes drop from Marinette’s gaze to the ground. “That’s what I was trying to tell you, chéri.” Her voice breaks as she continues, “The house and the Bakery are gone. They burned down.” 

“No!” Marinette exclaims, jerking her gaze back towards the window. She begins to search in earnest now for her home...the only place she had ever lived, the only place where she felt truly safe and happy….

Before Sabine can answer, a nurse opens the door quietly and, seeing her patient awake, walks swiftly over to Marinette’s bed.

“Miss, are you in pain?” The nurse asks politely but sternly. Marinette turns unwillingly to face the woman and nods, tears running in torrents down her cheeks.

“The doctors expected you to be out much longer. I believe I will administer some sleeping medicine so your body may heal better.” The nurse says and then continues talking, but Marinette blocks out the words.

Her home is gone. Her whole life has been upset in one long night. She can’t see how she could have done anything else, and yet guilt swells in her stomach. She failed…and it wasn’t the first time recently.

Marinette suddenly gasps, sitting up again and interrupting her mother and the nurse’s conversation.

“Chat! Ladybug! What happened with them? How did I get here?” Marinette’s voice is high-pitched from her fear and the volume of her questions finally waken her father. He gives a sigh and his eyes pop open, but Marinette can’t find it within herself to worry about him. Her mind is on her partner-in-heroics. 

“Maman?” Marinette asks, looking to Sabine for an explanation but it is her father, who has walked over to her bed who answers her desperate pleas.

“Well...we aren’t really sure what happened. From the witnesses, we were told that Ladybug pulled your mother and I out of the house. Then she got Chat out from one of the buildings, which exploded. When the dust had cleared completely, Chat was found to be hurt and so was she. But she used her Lucky Charm and somehow, they got away. No one is entirely certain about how as the witness’s stories are all mixed up about that. But the two heroes disappeared. And the SAMU men found you in one of the alleys by the house and they brought you here….That was three days ago.”

Marinette stares at her father for a long moment, her eyebrows scrunching together in confusion. She is concentrating so hard on trying to remember the events that she is unaware of the nurse on her right who is piercing a needle into her arm. That is, until the medicinal drugs start their work on her body. The aches and pains all over her slowly numb and her vision blurs slightly. She falls back onto the pillows behind her and groans softly.

“Sleep, my dear,” Sabine whispers, kissing Marinette on the forehead as her eyes close. 

“Mhmmm,” Marinette moans as Sabine moves away. Tom moves into her place to also kiss her head. 

“I’ll see you when you wake up, darling.” He says and moves away. Marinette’s eyes stay closed despite her efforts to open them. She can feel sleep trying to overcome her and she has very little energy to fight it. The only thing she can manage is to mutter:

“Where’s Tikki?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welll....what did you think? I don't have another chapter written just yet, but it's in the works. I'll try to get to it soon, I promise! Til then, feel free to share thoughts and theories: What do you think happened? How did Chat and Ladybug get away? Why can't Marinette remember? 
> 
> Thanks for reading! <3


	9. Asleep?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien cannot wake up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said I would post this by Sunday, but it didn't happen (obviously). I'm sorry! Like I said, the weekend got away from me. It's a short chapter, I know. Again, sorry. But I hope you like it! 
> 
> Family stuff is happening, but I'm hoping to have another chapter posted by the end of the week. :)

He is awake. He has to be awake. He tries to move his fingers and then fear rushes through him when he can’t seem to locate them.

Adrien tries to open his eyes and his body doesn’t respond. The fear in his chest rises and he hears the loud constant beeping noise to his right increase in pace.

“Natalie!” He hears a soft, sharp voice call out. Well, at least his ears work. Adrien tries to open his eyes again but they don’t respond.

“I’ll get the nurse.” Natalie’s quiet reply is almost indiscernible to Adrien as the beeping drowns her out.

Adrien’s heart is racing. He can certainly feel that and it seems that the beeping is rushing along with it. He listens to the loud noise for a long moment, reminded of another beeping sound that has recently sent his heart racing like this.

A door slams open, interrupting his thoughts. If he could have moved, Adrien would have jumped. The blindness and numbness of his unresponding body is uncomfortable but he tries to concentrate on the sounds around him as the beeping’s volume suddenly decreases like someone turning down a television.

“-asleep?” Gabriel Agreste’s question is angry and frustrated.

“No, sir.” A feminine voice calmly replies to whatever the question was and Adrien can hear his father’s answering _hmmph_.

“Then why is his heart racing?” Natalie asks from somewhere to Adrien’s right.

“He seems to be trying to wake up, sir. I believe I will have to administer some more of the sedative, but I need to check with the doctor first.” The feminine voice answers his father’s assistant. Adrien can hear the distinct sound of heels on marble floors as the nurse walks out of the room. There is silence for a few minutes as Natalie and Gabriel settle back down into what Adrien assumes are their chairs.

“Why must they keep him asleep?!” Gabriel suddenly exclaims after the long silence.

“The doctor said he needs to heal.” Natalie speaks quickly but the normal dutiful obedience that always made her seem docile around his father is no longer in her voice. Adrien quietly marvels at the change in her tone as she continues.

“They said he was severely injured during that fire. Knowing the boy, he probably tried to rush in and save people.” A soft laugh comes from Natalie and she moves to his bedside again. Adrien can feel her fingers play with his hair for a moment. “I don’t know how he got out of there, but you should feel better that he did. The doctor knows best. You flew him in from whatever country that was where he was doing charity work, after all. You need to trust him. For Adrien’s sake, and for your own.”

Natalie heaves a large sigh and Adrien can feel her move away. He listens intensely to her steps as she walks towards what he assumes is the door. He can almost feel her pause in the doorway and his father takes a deep breath beside him.

“He will be okay, Monsieur. Just let him sleep.”

Natalie leaves. Adrien is left alone in the room with his father for several minutes. His father never moves from his chair and when the nurse comes back in the room, neither of them say anything.

Adrien can feel a needle bite into his skin and slowly, his awareness of the room fades. He begins to dream of the first time he ever met Natalie….


	10. Dreams, Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we get a slightly heartbreaking look into the life of a young, abandoned Adrien Agreste.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so for the record, I took some liberties with this backstory/flashback chapter. In this fic, everything happened as follows. His mom's "disappearance," where they lived when he was little, and when his father became a designer. Please just bear with me and enjoy the chapter! I hope it will change your perspective on him a bit, as this was how I imagined him as a little kid. Also, Paix is a small town I made up. It's about two or so hours from Paris.

He is nine years old and swinging on a swing. Every time it swings backwards, he leans backwards as far as he can to stare at the sky. Every time it swing forwards again, he feels like he is flying, flying, flying. The swing creaks loudly with every movement, but he doesn’t care. The sound comforts him, truth be told. It makes him forget all the worries that are bouncing around his head.

_Creak._

His mom isn’t missing. No, no. She is just at the store. She will be home soon and will laugh at him for how dirty his pants are after playing in the mud.

_Creak._

His dad isn’t leaving. He’ll stay and tuck him in every night, just like always. He will come outside any minute now and tell him to come inside for dinner.

_Creak._

He isn’t going to move away. They are going to stay in Paix until he goes to university. He likes their small town and he never thought he would live anywhere else.

_Creak._

The house isn’t full of boxes. It’s full of warmth and light just like always. Everything will be just like it always was.

_Creak, creak, creak._

The speed of the swing increases as tears started to flow down Adrien’s cheeks. He is only nine, so he’s sure he is missing bits and pieces of whatever is happening. But the missing information is making him feel so confused and lost. Everything hurts and no one tells him what is going on, not really.

“Adrien!” His father’s annoyed voice calls from inside the house. The swing creaks one last time, louder than before as Adrien swings himself forward. He jumps and lands awkwardly on his hands and knees but he doesn’t care. He moves to go inside and hurriedly wipes away tears.

Walking into the house, he finds his father standing by the front door. A strange woman is at his side. Cold determination sparks in Gabriel’s eyes.

“Hello Monsieur,” the young, brunette woman says.

“Hello,” Adrien replies slowly, quietly.

“Adrien, there you are. I’m leaving tonight. This is Natalie.” His father’s tone is short and sharp; Adrien inwardly flinches.

He knows that tone; it means he's in trouble. But he doesn't know why. He nods his head at Natalie in greeting as his father continues roughly.

“She will be taking care of you from now on. You are to listen to her and do whatever your tutors say. She will bring you to Paris and you will settle down there. No excuses.”

“Yes Father,” Adrien says humbly and Gabriel nods cutrly.

“I’m off then,” Gabriel says, and turns away.

“Wait! Aren’t you staying for dinner?” Adrien pleads, but his father’s expression when he turns back around sends shivers down his spine. He closes his mouth and presses his lips together tightly against the temptation to speak again. 

“No I'm leaving now. My flight is in an hour. Listen to Natalie.” Then Gabriel Agreste walks out of the door, carrying his luggage to the waiting cab. Adrien watches him go and when he is certain his father can no longer see him, the tears flow again…

_Time passes._

Time skips over the long days before they leave for Paris. The flight is terrifying and he cries when he sees his new large, empty room. He tries to like Natalie, but she doesn’t seem to care much about him. He follows her instructions to the t but it does nothing for her attitude. She seems so rough, so coarse.

He is uncertain what is happening. He becomes more and more shy every day and his whole worlds seems to have imploded on itself.

And then...his father returns. But he’s not the same. He is cold, distant, and some sort of emotion is constantly bubbling in his expression. Young Adrien does not what it is, but it is akin to rage.

Although his father has returned, things have not changed. He sees Natalie every day, -while he never sees his father at all- and she directs his life. Tells him which tutors to see and what classes he is taking, day by day. He studies a myriad of things, from English to German to piano. And he isn’t quite sure whether he likes it or not. But he studies as hard as possible, just to make his father proud.

One day, several weeks after his return, Natalie tells Adrien he has “an appointment” with his father. An appointment! How much his life has changed!

Adrien was sure he didn’t like _this_.

The time of the appointment approached, and Adrien found himself sitting in front of his father. A large wooden desk and most of a year of distance separating them. How much he longs to see his father smile again, to hear his mother laugh! But he quickly pushes the thoughts away before his father can spot them in his eyes, as he always seems to be able to.

“Adrien…” Gabriel starts, then hesitates.

“Yes Father?” Adrien responds, his words little more than a whisper.

“I don’t  know if you’ve noticed, but I have recently earned a reputation in the fashion industry. I have become quite famous and have earned lots of money.”

“Yes Father?” Adrien asks again, not sure where he is going with this train of thought. Money had never mattered to him, and he never would have believed that it mattered to his parents. But maybe he is wrong; he’s been wrong about so many things lately. Guilt sweeps over him at the thought of the empty house in Paix and his mother’s extended disappearance. He's so sure that her leaving was his fault...

“As a fashion expert, I have a certain image to protect. This means that your life needs to be straightened out. Because of that,” Gabriel took a breath and continued stiffly, formally, “Your tutors will be cut down to three. One for extracurriculars, one for languages, and one for the general subjects. You will listen to them, and you will not speak to them about anything but their specified subjects. Do you understand?”

“Yes…” Adrien said quietly and Gabriel gives him a stern look before proceeding with his lecture.

“You will also be doing weekly or bi-weekly photoshoots. You are going to be a model. This means that you are to follow, word for word, the strict diet that Natalie will be implementing starting this evening. You are to stay in the house, unless otherwise specified. You are to go where you are told without complaint. Do you understand?” Gabriel asks again more fiercely.

Adrien nods his head, humbly and submissively. He wants to make his father proud and he is sure that the only way to do that is do perfectly in whatever he instructs.

And do perfect he did. He went to every photoshoot, every class, listened to every lecture, and ate everything Natalie set in front of him, despite how gross it looked. And he never complained.

He also cried himself to sleep for several months, but he never talked to anyone about it. He never made friends with any of his tutors, or tried to tell Natalie about the nightmares he had. He never did anything that he was not strictly told to do. And most of all, he never really had a friend. He had no one to talk to, even though Chloe Bourgeois spent many an afternoon at his house. She always did the talking, and he kept silent most of the time, trying his best to be the best obedient son he could be….

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor, sweet Adrien. He gets a backbone as he grows up, but he is, deep down, just as obedient as ever. He thinks it is the only way his father will ever learn to love him. :(


	11. Answers & Questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien struggles with not being able to speak.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...I've never been in a coma or ever been to the hospital for any kind of broken bones, or anything actually. I'm pretty sure that this was not technically scientifically or medically correct, but...uh...I tried? Please forgive me. Also, I'm not sure how Master Fu's powers work either but based off of how other fics have used him and how it works in my head, this is how it works out. Uhm...so yeah. Enjoy? Haha. :)
> 
> Oh and sorry about so much dialogue....

“Hey kid,”

Adrien stirs, fighting the remnants of the dreams ...the  _ memories  _ that are trying to pull him back into their endless depths.

“Kid. Wake up. C’mon.” 

A soft, familiar voice is speaking. He tries again to push back against unconsciousness and feels it shift slightly.

“Adrien. Kid. Adrien.” The words are a plea. Adrien shoves with all his might against the bonds of sleep and suddenly….

He blinks. The room is lit with the dull light of dawn or dusk, he can’t tell. His fingers twitch and his eyes scan the room from his immobile position. Nothing. The room is empty. 

He hears a whimper next to him. He turns his head and holds back a gasp as pain ripples through him at the movement. He blinks slowly, once, twice, before his eyes clear and he can make out the shape of the moving object now in front of his face.

Not an object. A person. Or rather, a kwami.

Plagg! 

Adrien’s mind and vision clear with a jolt as he finally rests his eyes on the face of his friend. 

“Hmmm,” Adrien tries to speak, to call out to Plagg, but trying sends severe pain down his throat and into his chest. He gasps in pain, but the action makes no sound. A warm paw quickly covers his lips as Plagg’s devastated expression turns to relief.

“Thank Miraculous.” Plagg exclaims softly and his dropping whiskers lift slightly as he meets Adrien’s gaze.

Adrien tries to move his lips, but Plagg presses down gently on them and Adrien stops. 

“Not the best idea. They’ve got all these  _ tubes _ stuck down your throat. I had to pull a few out to get you to wake up, but you won’t be able to talk for now. Just blink once for yes and twice for no, okay?” 

Adrien’s head was reeling but he blinked once. 

“Good. Now, what’s the last thing you remember?” Plagg pauses and then tries, “Do you remember the fire?”

One blink.

“Do you remember Ladybug getting us out?” 

Another blink. Adrien fights back the questions that swirl up inside of him. Where is his Lady? What happened? He tries to ask the questions with his eyes, knowing Plagg can probably read the desperation there.

“Do you remember anything after?” Plagg runs a paw over his little cat-face, stress in every line of his body.

Two blinks this time, and Adrien’s lips twitch as he fights  _ hard _ against the questions. He never would have said he talks a lot, but the action of not being able to speak when he is so desperate for his Lady is like a punch to his stomach. Many punches actually.

“Okay...So is this the first time you’ve...become aware since then?” Plagg seems to be searching for a place to start. Adrien replies with two quick blinks. Plagg’s face contorts in annoyance, but Adrien moves his hand toward Plagg. The action sends pain rippling down his spine but he tries to pet his friend. He barely reaches one of his friend’s ears before his hand flops back onto the bed, but it’s enough. 

Plagg’s frustrated expression softens at Adrien’s touch and Adrien thinks that this is the nicest he has ever seen his kwami act. Which must mean that he must  _ truly _ be hurt. 

“Alright….let’s see. Where to start?” Plagg mutters and hesitates for a long moment, before he shrugs his shoulders and takes a deep breath.

“Okay, I’ll just start from Ladybug rescuing us out of that burning building. That you got us stuck in.” Plagg gives Adrien an annoyed look that reminds Adrien of his kwami’s normal attitude.

“Anyway, she got us out and you used Cataclysm to move the rubble on top of us. So when we got outside, I was running out of energy. But you were burned and had all these internal injuries that I was trying to keep a handle on, so I couldn’t just let you detransform. It would’ve left you paralyzed or dead at the worst. I don’t  _ ever _ want to go through that again.” Plagg pauses again and gives his charge a scared look as Adrien realizes that a previous Miraculous holder...A shiver runs down his back and he waits for Plagg to continue.

“You were in and out at that point, but I was still pretty alert. Ladybug tried to get you to wake up completely. She was floundering, but she finally tried to use her Lucky Charm. I didn’t notice what it was, and she didn’t seem to be able to use whatever the item was. My hold on you was slipping and you were unconscious at that point. Then, the building exploded. It sent a concussive force out that forced me to let go of you and you de-transformed. But so did Ladybug. Her kwami must have lost her hold on her as well. However,” Plagg stops to smile slightly and Adrien is stunned by the change in his friend’s expression. 

Plagg’s eyes glaze over for a moment before he shakes his head and continues quickly, “However, Tikki has always been a quick thinker. In the dust and smoke of the explosion, she used her remaining strength to drag you, me, and Ladybug out of there before anyone could notice. I helped, but only a little. I was too exhausted from trying to keep you alive and holding the de-transformation as long as I did.

“You had your bag on you like you always do, and I found some Camembert in there. I was able to get some more energy and then find Tikki something to eat to build up her own energy. When we were stronger -it took only a minute or so but you and Ladybug were in no condition for us to take any more time- Tikki stayed behind to watch over you two. I left to get Master Fu.”

At the confusion in Adrien’s eyes, Plagg stops and sighs. “I’ll explain who he is later. For now, I’ll just say that his Miraculous allows him to heal other holders. I found him and brought him as quickly as I could. However, by that time, the fire had moved onto other parts of the city and the hospital men were searching for other victims. They had almost reached the alley where you were when Fu and I got there.

“He wasn’t able to completely heal you two, but he  _ did _ put a slow-healing spell on you. It’s not a spell, but I can’t think of any other way to put it. It’s been slowly knitting your bones and body back together for the last week while these idiotic doctors have kept you in a coma. I pulled out some of the cords to wake you up, but I suspect it will still be a while before you are able to fight any akumai anytime soon.”

Plagg finishes his long story with a deep sigh. Truly, it’s the most Adrien has ever heard his kwami say at one time, but it still doesn’t answer all of his questions.

“Hmm.” Adrien tries to speak again, knowing it is futile but he  _ needs _ to know where his Lady is. 

“What?” Plagg asks, concern lighting in his eyes as he tries to figure out what Adrien wants.

“La…” Adrien’s lips mouth the word and Plagg’s expression calms again.

“Ladybug?” He asks. Adrien blinks once.

“She’s fine, kid. Better than you at least. She’s awake….and is fine.” But Plagg hesitates as his expression falls again. Adrien moves his lips again, but Plagg sighs heavily.

“No, you need to sleep.” Plagg hovers out of Adrien’s line of sight and pushes a button. “There, the nurse should be here in a moment. Try to get some more rest.” 

Before Adrien can try to respond, Plagg disappears under his pillow and the door swings open. 

“Monsieur!” A gasp comes from the nurse standing in the doorway and Adrien turns towards her. She rushes towards him and his head begins to ache as she reattaches several unplugged cords. 

Quicker than he can respond, the drugs begin to pump back into his system and the whole world fades into blackness once more….

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More Mari parts are coming, I swear! I didn't realize this was going to be SO. MUCH. ADRIEN. It just kinda turned out that way, and I wanted to give Mari's own timeline it's own path so we will be getting back to her here soon. Promise. 
> 
> Let me know what you thought in the comments, PLEASE. I seriously love your guys' comments so much. They're what keep me writing. Thank you. (Oh and if you haven't, you should totally go read "Goodbyes." It was a fluff piece I wrote in celebration for 2K reads. Let me know what you think of that too.)


	12. Worrying

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette worries and remembers the worst three weeks of her life.
> 
> {Aka a summary of what has been happening with LB and friends. :) Oh, and time jump. Anndddd flashbacks. Sorry if the chapter is a bit rough. I'll try to get to editing it eventually. }

Marinette is in a constant state of worrying. Honestly, she can't help it. Sitting in Alya’s living room, surrounded by chatting people and noisy kids, she finds herself worrying. She doesn't even hear Alya until her best friend waves a hand in front of her face. 

“What?” Mari asks, stunned out of her thoughts about her partner and akumai. 

“Girl, where is your head? You've been spacey for days!” Alya sighs and puts a hand on Marinette’s shoulder. Everyone in the room chuckles softly before going back to their after-dinner conversations. 

In a quieter voice, Alya says seriously, “Honestly Mari. What's wrong? You know you can talk to me.” She gives Marinette a worried look but Mari just shakes her head. 

“Really Alya, it's nothing. Just lost in thought.” Wanting to avoid Alya’s interrogation, Mari turns to her mom who is sitting on her other side.

“Maman, how much longer did you say school was going to be cancelled for?” 

Sabine Dupain-Cheng stops her conversation with Ayla's mother to smile at her daughter. “Monsieur Owl said that school should be back in session next week. I think that most of the schools in Paris figured that a three week halt to classes would be enough time to let people heal and get situated.” Sabine smiles again, despite the pain in her eyes, and says, “Are you excited for the return of your classes?”

Marinette hesitates and Alya rolls her eyes before jumping in. “I don't think  _ anyone _ is excited for the return of classes. Maybe Mari is more looking forward to seeing a certain  _ someone _ .” Alya winks and Mari rolls her eyes. She knows this is Alya’s revenge for not talking about what's bothering her. 

“Whatever Alya,” Mari replies jokingly and stands up. She walks away from the group of people in Alya’s living room -Alya’s parents, siblings, and Mari’s parents are all spread out on several couches- and heads towards the stairs. 

Marinette is down the stairs and almost out the door before Alya catches up to her. 

“Mari!” 

Marinette holds in a sigh and walks out of the house, knowing Alya is following her. Alya follows Mari into the front of her yard where a bench is located. Both girls sit down on it. 

Marinette stares out onto her city and tears well up in her eyes. Even between all the large buildings, she can see the damage that horrible fire caused…

“Look, girl. I'm sorry,” Alya starts, noticing the tears in Mari’s eyes. “You know I'm just teasing.”

“I know Alya. You're not what's bugging me.”

“What is it? Please. Come on, tell me.” Alya begs and Mari meets her gaze. Alya’s expression is full of confusion and frustration. 

For one  _ long _ moment, Marinette considers telling Her best friend what's truly on her mind. She imagines her best friend’s face as she admits to being Ladybug and spilling all her secrets. She imagines how Alya would take her by the shoulders and give her a bone-crushing hug and would let Marinette cry out her fears on her shoulder. 

For a moment, Mari considers it she really does. She needs someone to talk to about her nightmares about Chat dead in an alley somewhere, and the fact that she can’t find her kwami anywhere. She just wants someone to talk to, and she knows that Alya will truly be able to keep  _ this _ secret for her. 

But...She doesn’t want to admit to all her fears and doubts. She is already so worried about Chat, Adrien, and Tikki. Her eternal worry: the one for her family, her friends, and especially Alya, comes crashing down on her again. If she reveals her identity to  _ anyone _ , no matter how trustworthy that someone is, there is a chance that her identity will be found out. Even if she were to only tell Alya, Alya could slip up. She’d likely accidentally tell Nino. She would worry about Marinette whenever Ladybug went around fighting akumai. She might get in the way, trying to protect her best friend. 

And on the other hand, maybe Alya wouldn’t take it well. This is a secret Mari has been keeping for  _ years _ now. Will Alya be angry? Will she storm off? Can Marinette handle that if she does, in Marinette’s currently unsteady state-of-mind?

All of these thoughts slam through Mari’s head as she sits there, deliberating desperately: Comfort or safety? Trust or protection? Loyalty or betrayal? Which will win out? 

At last, Marinette opens her mouth to speak, still not quite sure what she is going to say, but ready to follow whichever way her tongue and lips lead her.

But, at that exact moment, Alya’s mother pops her head out the second story window above them.

“Alya! Come help me with your sisters please!” 

Marinette closes her mouth slowly and Alya gives her a look that clearly says that she is  _ very _ upset with Marinette. But then, she gives a light groan and rushes back inside. 

Leaving Marinette alone with her thoughts, and as she sits there alone, her mind flickers back over the last couple weeks. The worst three weeks of her life….

_ While she was in the hospital, she begged everyone for any news of Chat and Ladybug. No one was able to tell her anything about her partner, but they also said that no akumai had been spotted. Alya, ever suspicious, mentioned the fact that she thought that Hawkmoth might have been injured or had family that was injured in the fire. Marinette was hesitant to respond, but after three weeks and no akumai, she would have readily agreed.  _

_ Chat was nowhere to be found. There was not even a rumor of a rumor of his appearance and Alya had stressed her worries about Paris’s heroes. Silently, Marinette agreed.  _

_ Though Marinette had not been too badly injured in the fire, she did have a little bit of amnesia. She told everyone that she couldn’t remember any of the fire, and they were worried about her. Truth be told, she did remember the fire, and everything leading up to the building exploding. But afterwards….nothing. She couldn’t remember anything about how she got out of there, or how she ended up in an alley. She didn’t even remember what her Miraculous item was, only that she had had no idea how to use.  _

_ Worst of all, however, was the fact that she didn’t know where her kwami was.  _

 

Tikki is missing….

As Marinette sits in the fall air, she shivers and tears run down her face. Remembering the last few weeks of terror and confusion, she wraps her arms around herself for comfort. Her kwami is still missing, even after three weeks. She doesn’t even know what to do to try to look for her. Her parents and Alya’s family have yet to let Marinette out of their sight, and she’s been so weak….

And then there was Adrien. Marinette remembers the exact moment Alya told her that her crush and friend was in a coma….

 

_ “What?!” Marinette had spluttered, her mind going blank with intense fear. _

_ “Mari…” Alya was hesitant and glanced cautiously at the instruments to her right that showed Mari’s heart was racing. _

_ “What happened??” Marinette exclaimed, interrupting Alya before she could say that maybe they shouldn’t talk about it. _

_ “Nino and I found him down one of the alleys when we were looking for you. He had burns and was bleeding internally. Nino ran for help, and they got him to the hospital. We found you barely ten minutes later. They thought that he tried to get people out of one of the buildings and got hit with some rubble. He was in really bad shape.” Alya’s face turned white at the memory, and tears rolled down her cheeks.  _

_ She took a very shaky breath before continuing, “Nino and I were not doing too well that night. The doctors said the both of you might not make it through the night. But they got you into surgery, and you woke up in the next little while. Adrien….didn’t. Mr. Agreste showed up as soon as he found out and had a bunch of internationally-known doctors flown in. They did the best they could, but….”  _

_ Alya had to stop again. Her tears were rushing in torrents, and Mari was sobbing along with her. The picture painted in her head made her want to puke, but she shifted over and made Alya sit next to her. Then she put an arm around her and hugged her tightly.  _

_ “You should’ve seen Nino’s face….It was like his whole world was imploding. Mine too, but I think I knew deep down that you would be okay.” Alya cried into Mari’s shoulder for a minute before breathing deeply and slowly. _

_ “The doctors induced a coma when he didn’t immediately wake up. They said it was better for him to heal that way. No one thought he would survive this long, but last I heard from Nino, he was still breathing.”  _

He was indeed still breathing, Marinette thinks hopefully, coming out of her thoughts when she notices the sun has gone down. The darkness brings cold and she knows her mom will be out any moment to call her back in. 

“Adrien...is still breathing,” Marinette whispers under her breath as she stands up and turns towards the house. She walks up the steps and is reaching out to open the door when she hears a small whisper behind her:

“Marinette!”

She whips around and gasps. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So....what did you think? Seriously, please comment. I love hearing your opinions and predictions. They really keep me motivated. Also...my birthday is this Saturday, so I probably won't have time to write over the weekend! Sorry! Next update is planned for end of next week or so.


	13. Long Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! *Bows down and begs for forgiveness*
> 
> IT'S BEEN THREE MONTHS I KNOW. 
> 
> I honestly didn't mean for this chapter to take so long to upload. But my birthday passed and it seems like inspiration decided it had enough of me. I've been dying for the last three months to try to write more for this fic, but writers' block hit me like an akuma attack. So....it took this long to finally get this updated.
> 
> Hope you'll forgive me. And I hope it was worth the wait. Let me know your thoughts in the comment section! (It makes me day)

Plagg’s night is going very badly. Well, actually, the last few weeks have been very rough for him. Adrien has finally awaken, yes. But his friend is still not in very good condition. At the moment, Plagg is watching Adrien, who is restlessly tossing and turning. Pain is in every movement and it hurts Plagg to watch his charge in agony.

Adrien’s father is sitting by his bed, tears falling down his cheeks as he watches his son as well. The man’s shoulders are shaking and Plagg can feel the fear rolling off the man.

However, Plagg feels no pity for Gabriel Agreste. He has no positive feelings for the man whatsoever. Mr. Agreste has been cold and cruel to his son and even now, he is only showing his love for his son behind a closed door. There is no one in the room to see the depths of his grief and if there _was_ someone else, Plagg is certain that the man would show no emotion at all. This is not the father that Adrien deserves, in Plagg’s opinion. After over a thousand years of watching people live and grow and die, he has very little emotional attachment to humans. That is, of course, except for his charges. And Adrien is easy to care about. Despite having a father who shows only contempt for him, Adrien is a kind and courteous person. He has a sense of humor and is patient enough to deal with Plagg on the kwami’s worst days. Adrien truly only needs love and affection, and so far in his life there has been very little of it.

Except of course, for Ladybug. She accepts Adrien -or Chat anyway- as he is. They are able to work in unison to save Paris on an almost daily basis. And that makes Plagg so proud of his charge.

However….

Plagg turns away from his view of Adrien and Gabriel. He faces the open window and his eyes search along the skyline for the Eiffel Tower. Using it as a reference, he traces the blocks to where the Dupain-Cheng’s house used to be. Only ashes remain there now, and it leaves a horrible chill down his spine.

With a heavy sigh, Plagg glances back at Adrien before taking off out the window. He needs to check on Adrien’s friend and partner, if only because he knows that Adrien will ask about her again. And he would like to be able to tell him something truthful about her condition….

 

Plagg had overheard talk of Marinette Dupain-Cheng from Natahlie and Gabriel. He knows, therefore, that she is staying at her friend’s house. Since he is always with Adrien, Plagg knows where Alya’s house is. He finds his way to the building that houses her family’s apartment with some difficulty, however. It’s harder without Adrien.

Before he can try to figure out which floor Marinette would be on, Plagg spots the two girls sitting on a bench outside the building. With a sigh of relief, Plagg flies slowly towards them. He stays out of sight and listens carefully….

“-You’re not what’s bothering me,” Mari says, her head turned away from her best friend. Unbeknownst to Alya, there are tears running down Mari’s face. But her voice is calm and smooth. A confused Plagg wrinkles his whiskers. Something is bothering Marinette? Why is she crying?

Alya is frustrated: “What is it? _Please._ Come on, tell me!”

But Mari doesn’t. She just sits there, tears running down her cheeks and Plagg feels a rush of annoyance at the redhead. He wants her to leave so he can talk to Marinette and figure out what is happening. Alya sits next to her best friend for what seems like an eternity until her mother yells for her from the second-story window. Alya stands up, glancing at the silent Marinette, before heading inside without another word.

It is a very long time before Marinette moves again after Alya leaves. Her eyes glaze over and Plagg hovers closer to her. He wants to talk to her but he’s not entirely sure where to start. He doesn’t necessarily want to reveal himself, but she’s alone and sad, and his shriveled heart goes out to her,

That’s when it hits him: Marinette shouldn’t be alone! Suddenly struck by the strangeness in this scene, Plagg feels a rush of anger. He was so worried over Adrien, he didn’t even think about….

He realizes that Marinette is on the stairs heading up the door and does the first thing that comes to mind.

He calls to her.

“Marinette!”  His whisper carries in the quiet evening and she whips around, gasping.

Marinette’s head jerks towards the sound of her name and she turns back to face the street.

“Hello?” Mari can’t see him in the dark, so he flies over into the light from the front porch.

“Right here,” Plagg says softly. His bright green eyes shine bright under the dim light.

“Who are you?” Marinette asks as Plagg shrugs off the impression that this is a mistake. If it is, he will just have to take the consequences.

“My name is Plagg. I am Chat’s kwami.”

“Chat!?” Marinette gasps, almost choking on his name. “How is he? Where is he? Is he okay? Why haven’t I heard from him? Why hasn’t _anyone_ heard from him?”

“One question at a time.” Plagg hovers up and places a paw on her lips. She jumps slightly at the touch but is quiet for a moment. Then, her eyebrows crinkle and she frowns.

“Wait. How….do you know who I am? Does Chat know?” Plagg watches as her eyes fill with distrust and pain. He knows how she feels about her secret identity, and she would certainly feel it a betrayal if Chat/Adrien knew who she was and didn’t tell her.

“No, Marinette. He doesn’t know who you are. Tikki and I have spent years together and we always know where the other is.” Plagg pauses and again, is struck by how grievous a mistake he has made. After almost a month of Adrien’s coma, Tikki hadn’t come to visit him. Plagg had thought it was because either Marinette or Tikki had been hurt. But the teenage girl stands in front of him in perfect condition, and Tikki...He can feel no pull to her. This sends panic through his veins. In more than a thousand years, Plagg has gotten used to feeling Tikki’s presence when he is close to her….

His voice is rough when he finishes his statement, “Rather, we we almost always know where the other is.” He pulls in a deep, shaky breath before asking the question that he isn’t sure he wants to know the answer to. “Where is Tikki?”

“I….I don’t know.”

Plagg’s hopes wilt. He almost drops to the ground under the pain in his chest. His best friend is missing and he didn’t even notice. It’s only through his will that Plagg remains in the air in front of Mari. He tries to not let his emotions show as he watches her eyes fill with tears.

Marinette’s voice breaks as she continues, “I haven’t seen her since the night of the fire. My parents haven’t let me out of their sight or else I would have gone looking for her. You don’t know where she is?”

“No, no I do not.” This is all his fault….

Plagg meets Marinette’s terrified expression and pushes down his building anger -at himself- and fear. He has to be strong, for Tikki’s sake. “Will you help me look for her please? She’s probably hurt.”

Marinette nods energetically and jumps off the porch. “Where are we headed?” She asks as Plagg leads the way down the street.

“Your house. That’s the last time either of us saw her, after all.” Plagg doesn’t look at Marinette to see her reaction to his words. She doesn’t respond and they both hurry down the dark street, looking for their friend.


	14. A/N: I SUCK. I'M SORRY.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is an update. Finally. After like over six months.

Note from the author:

 

Dear beloved readers,

 

I suck, sorry. 

 

I've been trying to work on this fanfiction for the last however long, and it has been more difficult than expected. However, with recent new inspiration, I am hopefully going to be able to continue it, like you all are begging me to. 

 

HOWEVER, this constitutes a change in strategy. Previously, I was trying to figure out how to get past a particularly frustrating part and add onto this already written story. 

 

INSTEAD, I am "finishing" this fanfic. BUT, do not despair! I am making a "sequel." Aka a "Part Two" of this fic. It is a continuation of the storyline, it just picks up a little further in the story than you would expect. I am planning to have the first chapter of this "Part Two" posted by next week. 

 

I'm sorry again. I hope you will all forgive me and go on to read the continuation. 

 

Please let me know in the comments if you have any questions: I will try to answer them. 

 

Lots of love, 

Bumbleshoot


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